Scarsdale Art Teacher Slashed While Trying to Stop a Subway Attack
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- Written by Wendy MacMillan
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Scarsdale Art Teacher John Catania was injured when he intervened in a subway attackWith its motto of “Non Sibi (not for oneself alone),” the Scarsdale School District has long taught its students, from kindergarten through 12th grade, how to be upstanders, to stop bullying, and to stand up for others if/when they are unable to stand up for themselves. On Tuesday November 22nd, SHS art teacher John Catania, age 29, put these teachings into action when he heroically stepped in to stop an attack on a fellow subway rider.
The incident took place as Mr. Catania, who joined the faculty at Scarsdale High School this past summer, was traveling on the L train around 10:30 pm. According to the Deputy Commissioner, Public Information (DCPI) of the NYPD, when police arrived they found “two victims with sustained lacerations; a 29-year-old male with lacerations to the head and back and a 28-year-old female with a laceration to the face.”
The report says, “The female victim was on board the north bound 'L' train, entering Manhattan from Brooklyn, when an unidentified adult male sitting across from her engaged her in a dispute which escalated to him grabbing her, striking her on the cheek with an unknown (and unrecovered) sharp instrument, and making anti-Muslim statements.” This is when Mr. Catania stepped in to intervene and was unfortunately struck on the head and back by the male with the same sharp instrument.
While the suspect fled the train at Union Square Station, both our hometown hero and the Muslim woman, although in stable condition, were rushed to Bellevue Hospital for treatment of their lacerations. Mr. Catania needed 26 staples to his head. Fortunately, the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force has identified the offender of the incident and he is currently in police custody.
Apparently Mr. Catania felt alone in his heroic efforts as he told the Daily News, “I was really hoping someone would help me out.”
Indeed, the world could use more upstanders like John Catania…people who don’t only teach others the importance of doing good wherever you can, but who also don’t hesitate to stand up to hate themselves.
Scarsdale Elects New CNC Members and Passes Amendment to Allow Non-Citizen Residents To Participate On The CNC
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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Greenacres candidate Zhendi Shi casting her ballotTwelve new members were elected to serve on the Scarsdale Citizen’s Nomination Committee (CNC) on Tuesday November 15, 2022. These new members will join current CNC members for a total of 30 Scarsdale residents serving on the CNC. Together the CNC will vet and nominate a slate of non-partisan candidates to run in Scarsdale’s March election for Mayor and the open Village Trustee positions.
The current and newly elected CNC members are:
Amendments made to the Non-Partisan Resolution (NPR), which is the document that governs the CNC process, were part of the CNC election ballot.
A total of 170 residents voted for CNC candidates. The total of candidate votes cast by area is as follows: Edgewood 41, Fox Meadow 32, Greenacres 27, Heathcote 40, Quaker Ridge 30.
A total of 158 residents cast an amendment ballot, and all of the amendments passed by majority vote.
There were 7 substantive proposed amendments to the NPR, and 8 non-substantive ones.
Quaker Ridge candidate Alex Forschner
One of the substantive proposed amendments would allow Scarsdale residents who are not U.S. citizens to fully participate in the CNC process by serving on the CNC, signing CNC petitions, voting in CNC elections, and participating on the Procedure Committee.
“I’m extremely proud that our community has passed the amendment allowing non-citizen residents to vote in CNC elections and serve on the CNC,” said Michelle Sterling, Chair, Scarsdale Procedure Committee. “With the passage of this amendment we are not just talking about equity and inclusion but are walking the walk and bringing all residents into the fold. It makes sense to me that non-citizen residents who live, own homes, pay taxes, and send their kids to school here, should be able to participate in their 
Procedure Committee member Emily Shteinhauzgovernance. The SBNC passed the same amendment the year before last, and I’m so pleased that the CNC is now doing the same. Going forward, with this roadblock out of the way, my hope is that we see more participation and volunteerism from our residents on the municipal level, which will make our community better represented and stronger.”
“I’m a steadfast supporter of Scarsdale’s non-partisan system and believe it is part of what makes our community so amazing,” continued Sterling. “I greatly appreciate and congratulate the new CNC members who stepped up to serve on the CNC. I also thank Procedure Committee Vice Chair Peri Zelig for her partnership, hard work and steady leadership, and I thank the entire Procedure Committee for their commitment and diligence in getting us to this great day for Scarsdale.”
Procedure Committee Chair Michelle Sterling
A Halloween Treat on Elm Road
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Though some worry about being overwhelmed with trick or treaters there are others who sadly don’t receive any trick or treaters at their door. That’s what Art Caione realized when he moved to Elm Road in Greenacres in 1996. Because it was a dead end street, kids rarely visited Elm Road on Halloween.
What to do? He decided to put Elm Road on the Halloween map by making it a destination for little ghouls and goblins.
Artie Caione
In 1997, he started by crafting large witch silhouettes from a Martha Stewart magazine. Then each year he added gravestones, jack o lanterns, howling dogs, skeletons and even a coffin that bangs shut, until his entire front lawn became a Halloween wonderland. A volunteer fireman, Caione knew how to wire the yard to light up the decorations and animate them with sound. When night falls, he adds blasts of fog to the scene to make it even more eerie.
He did all this with the help of his two daughters, Alex and Sophia, now 23 and 21. When his girls were around, Elm Road did become the place to congregate. Now that they have grown up and moved on, he invites all the children on the block to help erect and take down the display.
Last year, his house flooded due to Hurricane Ida so there was no show. But thankfully the decorations were stored under the Caiones back porch and escaped the deluge without damage.
So this year, Elm Road is again a scene from a Norman Rockwell painting and Caione invites you to stop by and see the decorations, light and fog.
Wait - There's One More Important Election - Vote on Tuesday
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Please vote in the CNC Election on November 15, 2022, 7:00-9:30 am and 2:00-9:00 pm at the Scarsdale Library.
The 30 members of the Scarsdale Citizen’s Nominating Committee (CNC) each year choose a slate of non-partisan candidates to run in Scarsdale’s March election for Mayor and Village Trustee positions. There are 12 new CNC members who are up for election on Tuesday, November 15.
The current and proposed new CNC members are:
This year several amendments to the Non-Partisan Resolution (NPR), which is the document that governs the CNC process, are also part of the CNC election ballot.
This year there are 7 substantive proposed amendments to the NPR, and 8 non-substantive ones. All of the amendments can be reviewed at www.scarsdaleprocedurecommittee.org.
One of the substantive proposed amendments would allow Scarsdale residents who are not U.S. citizens to fully participate in the CNC process by serving on the CNC, signing CNC petitions and participating on the Procedure Committee.
“At this year’s CNC election we have on the ballot an amendment to our governing resolution which will allow non-citizen Scarsdale residents to participate in the CNC,” said Michelle Sterling, Chair of the Procedure Committee. “We have many residents who live here, own homes, pay taxes, and send their kids to school here, but are not able to participate in their local governance because they are not U.S. citizens. With this amendment we have a chance to allow all residents to get involved and impact their local government by being able to participate on the CNC. I hope that residents come out and vote in support of it at the CNC election on November 15.”
Best-Selling Author Fiona Davis Greets Fans at Scarsdale Library
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Dara Gruenberg, Fiona Davis And Beth BermelIt was a night to remember at Scarsdale Library. First because the pandemic was finally behind us, permitting an unmasked in person event. Second, because Scarsdale’s dazzling library was completed and the newly modernized Scott Room was available to host a larger audience and last, because the Friends of Scarsdale Library had invited a best-selling author and the community was finally able to enjoy an event that had long been envisioned.
On Thursday October 20, the Friends of Scarsdale Library welcomed Fiona Davis, author of six novels, all mysteries sited in historic buildings. Bringing the evening closer to home, the event had been arranged in conjunction with Davis’ agent Stefanie Lieberman who happens to live here in Scarsdale.
Dara Gruenberg, President of the Friends of Scarsdale Library introduced the event and noted that the Friends sponsor the library’s museum pass program that allows card holders to visit museums for free. This benefit was highlighted as the book, Magnolia Palace, was set at the Frick Museum.
Library Director Beth Bermel said, “I am so happy to have an event of this size at the library, the largest since the opening. Bermel explained that Davis is the author of six books that occur in NYC buildings, including The Lions of Fifth Avenue, about the NY Public Library.
How did Davis come up with this unique genre of historical mysteries involving landmark buildings? Davis explained that her parents are British and that when she was young they visited castles and let her run around the buildings and the grounds. She said, “I love to explore the ghosts of times past.”
Davis signed books after the event.
Her books have a common structure, combining a story from the past and a parallel story from modern times. She said, “A couple of timelines and an element of mystery drive the book forward.” About Magnolia Palace she said, “I have always loved the Frick. It’s many New Yorkers favorite museum. It’s a small, contained house and when you go it feels like the Frick family just went out to dinner.”
How did she devise this formula? She said that her first book was about the Dakota. At the time, Lauren Bacall’s apartment in this historic apartment building was on the market and she toured the apartment with a real estate agent and tried to remember every detail.”
To research Magnolia Palace she asked for a tour of the Frick where she received a “warm welcome.” She noticed that the stately 1914 mansion was “set back from Fifth Avenue, with beautiful magnolia trees in the front.” Though only the first floor is open to the public she was able to visit the basement and saw the bowling alley, which figures prominently in the book, as well as the maid’s rooms on the top floor.
She interviewed people, dove into Frick digital archives and uncovered a party guest list and menu from 1917 along with a list of the salaries of the 27 servants who manned the house. For each book, “she finds the hidden story that is tucked beneath.”
Davis came to novel writing later in life. She originally came to New York to pursue a careers in modeling and then attended Columbia Journalism School and worked in journalism for years. She wrote her first book when she was in her late forties and since them has been researching and writing at a steady clip, churning out a new book every year and a half. It usually takes her four months to do the research, followed by the development of two timelines which she weaves together to form her story.
Up next is “The Spectacular,” the story of an aspiring Rockette, set in the 1950’s.
Sure to be as readable, compelling, enlightening and enjoyable as her prior six books, we’ll be looking for it at the Scarsdale Library.
Thanks to the Friends of Scarsdale Library and Library Director Elizabeth Bermel for a first-rate event in our community gem.
